South Bay Expressway
is arguably the most iconic structure part of the street.]] The Bridge Street is a road in Burnout Paradise, located in the Harbor Town district. It runs through the majority of Harbon Town, but a short stretch of the road goes through White Mountain too. It is one of most traveled roads in Paradise City, accessed frequently by players and A.I. traffic. The Expressway is one of the most ideal roads for Showtime, and it is also a very common route in Races and Marked Man events since it offers a reasonably direct itinerary from Downtown Paradise to White Mountain. Players should note that a very large number of discoveries are to be found along the Expressway, including several drive throughs. The nearest landmarks are the Fort Lawrence Naval Yard found at the Hall Avenue intersection, and the Lone Stallion Ranch a few hundred yards to the West. Layout The main road starts at the T-intersection with Manners Avenue next to Griffin's Fish Sales and under the I-88. During the first few hundred yards, the South Bay Expressway is a 3-lane single carriageway which then quickly evolves into a 4-lane dual carriageway format in which it will persevere for the remainder of the layout. The roads heads South and then curves slightly South-West until it reaches its first intersection with Shepherd Avenue, next to the Paradise Diner. The road continues South-West, hugging the shoreline until it arrives at the South Bay Gas 5 station at which point it curves West past the large fuel tanks. Then, a hundred yards after the gas station past the Parr Avenue junction, an entrance to the Paradise City Naval Base can be found. The South Bay Expressway carries on heading West, snaking left to right while the elevation varies slightly. The Expressway then reaches the Fort Lawrence Naval Yard finish line that strides over the road just before the Hall Avenue intersection. Afterwords, the road S-bends to the right while sloping slightly downwards before reaching the South Bay Auto Repair Shop. Opposite to the body shop there is a long dock area complete with container cranes and cargo ships. Right after the drive-through, the Expressway arrives at the South Rouse Drive junction. After the said intersection, the street slopes up brutally while curving left, this slope leads to the iconic South Bay Expressway Bridge that arches over a body of water. The long, straight and level portion of the road extends far west and ultimately leads drivers to the end of the road, at the South Mountain Drive T-intersection. At this point players will have traversed the Harbor Town district entirely and will find themselves traveling through White Mountain. The Rockridge Dam is located North of the Bridge which serves as a unique viewpoint to admire the complex. Events On the South Bay Expressway, players will be able to start 8 events offline. Shortcuts Naturally, seeing the length of the Expressway, there are a considerable number of shortcuts linking to or from the road. Manners Avenue *The Griffin's Fish Sales building at the eastern corner of the intersection serves as a notable shortcut with various routes inside it, however each path leads to the Warren Avenue intersection. It is accessible thanks to the empty open area located behind it, on the South sidewalk of the Expressway. Alternatively, there are openings on the front of the building making the shortcut usable in reverse. *Additionally, a small dirt area is located on the western corner of the intersection and which helps make the drift to turn left when approaching the junction. *The open area mentioned previously also allows access to a back alley that cuts the intersection completely and delivers players on the Avenue, west of Warren Avenue and just before the Warehouses. Shepherd Avenue *There is a southbound shortcut onto Shepherd Avenue which cuts through the building block for those who took a wrong turn. Nevertheless, the shortcut serves more as a decorative alley rather than an effective shortcut since the layout of the alley prevents swift maneuvers in order to perform a U-turn. *Also, the Paradise Diner's parking can be used as a shortcut to switch to or from the Expressway. *Finally, there is an other small open area on the opposite corner of the intersection cutting the bend a little. Paradise City Railroad *It is possible to access the tracks of the railroad from the Expressway. At the Gabriel Avenue intersection, drivers can cut through the South Bay Green Sign Car Park on the western corner to then squeeze through a small gap and reach the tracks. *Additionally, when on the South Bay Expressway Bridge players can use the central separators to jump onto to tracks running above. Parr Avenue At this intersection, racers can drive through the small parking that is located on the eastern corner to drift tighter onto the Avenue. Hall Avenue To access this road quicker, there is a small concrete path that cuts the western corner. In a Race or Stunt Run event, players should take care with the makeshift ramp that is located in the center. Because of its size, careless driving could cause a wreck you don't travel in the middle of the ramp. South Rouse Drive The eastern corner of this intersection bares a short paved path that curves left and puts players on an elevated pathway before being able to drop back down on the Expressway. It should be noted that this shortcut can only be used in one direction. ;Manners Avenue On the other corner of the intersection is a small factory (distinguishable by its smokestacks) enclosed in a walled perimeter. An access ramp enables drivers to enter the factory and go through it via a single straight corridor which features natural ramps formed by metal grilling. At the end of the corridor is a larger and steeper ramp that blasts racers through a Billboard and subsequently back on Manners Avenue. Alternate Route Racers traveling on the Expressway have the option to choose the best known (and longest) series of off-road paths running adjacent to the main road for several thousand yards. There are 3 communicating sections with several entry points for each. Docks The earliest entrance to this section is located on the left side of the road just South of the Griffin's Fish Sales. The section starts by a down-slope that takes the player to a partly covered path. A Super Jump ramp is right ahead on the left-hand side, it propels fast enough drivers over a gap between 2 piers;Player should make sure to straighten themselves for the difficult Jump in here. Drivers can choose not to jump by keeping right and avoiding the 3 support pillars placed in the middle of the path. The path will then carry on through a curved tunnel after which there is a steep slope that brings racers back to normal level. There is an exit located directly to the right for those who wish to return to the main road, however, heading straight ahead will lead players to enter the second section of the alternate route. Naval Base Players already in the off-road route will enter the naval base as soon as they will have crossed the metal bridge. Players on the Expressway can enter this second section via an entry marked by a large PCNB logo and a security check covered by a Fort Lawrence Naval Yard sign. Both paths then approach together the 2 gangways leading to a large aircraft carrier. Caution should be used when approaching the split since separated, both ways and enter said ship from its side, then they rejoin halfway inside the main hangar of the vessel before exiting the carrier from its stern. At the end of it is the docking platform where racers will catch a few milliseconds of Air Time after jumping the sloped access ramp. Landing takes place in a small courtyard between the ship and another security check which marks the end of the second section and is actually placed a few yards before the Naval Yard finish banner. Port Adjacent to the military Naval Base, to the West, is built a port complete with cranes, platforms, container ships and naturally, several hundreds of intermodal containers. This section is the widest (but shortest) section of the 3 and is also the most accessible; Everything is based on a large concrete area on which are placed a platform and cranes. The platform however is only accessible from the other direction (at the top of the natural slope at the beginning of the South Bay Expressway Bridge). In this Dock area there 2 billboards to be found as well as a Super Jump. Drive Throughs There are 2 Drive Throughs to be found along the Expressway: *The South Bay Gas 5 fuel station: Near the Parr Avenue intersection. *The South Bay Auto Repair body shop: Near the South Rouse Drive intersection. Use it to fix cars you've Shut Down after picking them up at the Manners Avenue Junkyard, in preparation for a Burning Route. GasStation7.jpg Auto_Repair_South_Bay.jpg Gameplay Strategies , or the toughest obstacles on the road.]] *Races :Depending on the boost type of their cars, players should take the following itineraries: ::;Stunt ::Stunt-equipped vehicles should use the many ramps available in the alternate route described above in order to replenish boost quickly and very effectively. However, one must note that this route is longer than the main road so boosting is mandatory to stay ahead. ::;Speed ::Speed vehicles should be executing burnouts easily thanks to the long oncoming and numerous near miss opportunities offered by the traffic-dense Expressway. Additionally, the Gas 5 station will refill or top up empty Boost bars of those in need. ::;Aggression ::Aggressive drivers will also be more efficient on the main road rather than the alternate routes. Traffic checking and Car, Van or even Bus Takedowns can be executed and will contribute to maintaining Boost Power. *Road Rage: :In this mode it is obvious that one should persevere on the Expressway rather than its shortcuts: the high density of traffic and industrial layout of buildings will ensure many Takedowns are scored when passing on the South Bay Expressway, particularly on the Bridge thanks to its narrower span. *Stunt Run: :When searching for score multipliers, the alternate routes will naturally yield best results. Seeing the considerable number of discoveries (Super Jumps and Billboards), score multipliers will be easily attained and Boost will nearly always be refilled. *Marked Man: :When fleeing from Marked Man Rivals, players should always pass through the alternate route mainly because the Hunters will not follow the player in shortcuts or off-road areas. Thankfully the 3 sections are also very long and therefore offer extended protection up until the South Bay Expressway Bridge. See Also *Harbor Town *Paradise City Railroad *Paradise City Watercourses *I-88